Many children have fond memories of hearing ice cream trucks pass through their neighborhoods, but 10 years or so ago, Jessica Randall worried how safe that experience was for her then-young son, Seth.

So, she decided to start her own ice cream truck business, and Pink Mama’s Ice Cream was born.

“I just wanted to change what was acceptable for parents sending their kids out to — something safe, clean and mom-owned and -operated,” said Randall, who quickly tells everyone she meets to “just call me Pink Mama.”

With a friendly personality and pink mohawk, she said she drove her first truck through neighborhoods, and in 2009, Pink Mama’s Ice Cream was invited to participate in Upstate Parent’s Southern Kids Fest.

“After that, we never had to drive around again,” she said. “I tell people today that I owe part of my success to Upstate Parent because it gave me a chance to get my name out there.”

With one ice cream parlor in Traveler’s Rest proving popular, Pink Mama decided to open a second location, this time near the Cherrydale area in downtown Greenville. The hot-pink-colored drive-thru and walk-up ice cream parlor held its grand opening in May and features the same four custom flavors — lavender white chocolate, pink motherload, pecan pie cheesecake and lavender pink lemonade — that Pink Mama’s Ice Cream customers know and love.

All waffle cones are made fresh daily, and the menu consists of ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes, floats and malts. Some items are gluten, dairy and sugar free, and there are also treats for the four-legged members of the family. The Greenville shop also features an ice-cream oasis, a covered area with family-style picnic tables and cornhole for guests to enjoy while they eat their treats.

“We want to keep it a family environment going back to my original core values of being clean, mom-owned and -operated and fun, with excellent customer service and an excellent product,” she said. Any ice cream that’s not homemade at Pink Mama’s comes from the Hershey’s brand, she said. Her husband, Jon, and her son, now 15, also help with the business.

“Now we have two shops opened, three trucks, and a wholesale distribution center,” she said. “It’s turned into this whole crazy lifestyle. We love it.”

Parents looking for a fun addition to their child’s birthday party can also hire Pink Mama’s Ice Cream to supply shaved ice and novelty ice cream from one of its trucks. A 30-minute visit for up to 40 guests costs $50 plus the cost of ice cream.

As for the new location in Greenville, Pink Mama encourages those not familiar with the business to stop by.

“Where else can you get an amazing product from a pink building like this?” she said. “We want you to bring your kids so they can grow up and bring their kids. When all is said and done, our business is all about family.”